1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless communications protocol, and specifically to a hybrid asynchronous protocol that enables wireless devices to efficiently communicate with one another yet still remain in sleep mode a high percentage of the time.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional wireless networks utilize a synchronous communications protocol that enables network devices to sleep a majority of the time and therefore operate with low power requirements. Network devices are able to sleep a majority of the time because they need only periodically wake up to transmit and receive messages to and from other network devices through a network base station and to synch with a network clock located at the base station. However, the network design of a system utilizing synchronous communications protocol requires infrastructure that is expensive and complex.
Wireless networks that utilize an asynchronous communications protocol provide an alternative to the above conventional synchronous wireless networks. Such networks are configured to enable network devices to communicate directly with one another through, for example, an ad hoc network. Because the network devices communicate directly with one another, the devices need not synch with a central base station clock.
As the need for a central base station is thereby eliminated in a network utilizing an asynchronous communications protocol, the hardware requirements necessary to implement such a network are reduced. However, because the network devices do not synch with a central base station clock, the devices must remain awake most or all of the time to listen for communications from other network devices. Consequently, network device power consumption is increased and battery life is decreased relative to networks utilizing a synchronous communications protocol.